创新思维练习在英语写作教学中的实践

1、创新思维练习在英语写作教学中的实践(2011-05-1717:36:39)自动刷新不刷新创新思维练习在英语写作教学中的实践*张在新北京外国语大学英语学院本文只集中探讨一个题目一一什么是创新思维？一一及其在英语写作教学中的实践。这一教学实践依据的蓝本是积累、试用过多年的英语写作教程一一从创新思维到批判思维(张在新主编，共四册)，中的第一册创新思维与写前技巧(张在新编著)，其重点是创新思维/写前构思技巧的运用及作文练习。什么是创新思维？1这个题目可以从创新思维的特点和创新思维方法这两个方面进行分析：1.创新思维的特点创新思维的主要特点具有三个基本要素：(1)流畅性(fluency)，即思维的广阔性

2、；(2)灵活性(flexibility)，即思维种类的多样性；(3)独特性(originality)，即思维的新奇性。这三个要素可简单回纳为思维的广阔、多样和新奇(Adams,1979；Halpern，1984)。2创新能力(creativity)是创新思维(creativethinking)的能力体现，培养创新思维即是培养创新能力。由于创新思维讲求从多通道、多视角横向看题目，因此它也叫横向思维(lateralthinking)(DeBono,1970)。用横向思维的方法往解决题目体现在绕过常规方法、突破一成不变的思维定式往寻找答案的能力。以下面的故事为例：古时候一位商人债务缠身，为了免往债务

3、，不得不同意年老的债主提岀的苛刻要求，即娶商人的年轻女儿为妻。债主假借天意，让商人的女儿从装有一黑一白两个石子的钱袋里取岀一颗石子，假如拿到白石子，她可以不嫁给债主；相反，就必须成婚。但是债主趁商人不留意的时候，从地上抓起两颗黑石子扔进空的钱袋里，这一切都被商人的女儿看到了。假如按常规，她可以直接揭穿债主的骗局，但是她运用了横向思维，将计就计从钱袋里拿岀石子后，假装不小心把它掉在展满黑白石子的地上，这时由于分辨不岀拿岀来的石子颜色，只好通过看钱袋里剩下石子的颜色(玄色)，来推断刚才拿岀的石子是白色。这样，商人的女儿聪明地绕过了困难，用完全不同的思路找到了解决题目的方案(Halpern，1984

4、)。小女子运用了创新思维往解决具体题目，这体现了她的创新能力。2.创新思维方法为了培养学生养成从多角度和不同侧面横向思考题目的习惯，教材第一册先容了十几种创新思维/写前构思技巧和方法，帮助学生进步创新能力、开阔思路和挖掘题材的水平，下面简单先容其中三种。3(1)大脑风暴(brainstorming)创新思维的流畅性、灵活性和独特性等特点是建立在大量素材的基础上的，以最快的方式搜索信息对于成功拓展创新思维尤为重要，直接影响到解决题目和挖掘题材内容的质量。大脑风暴法就是针对这一目的由 AlexOorn 在 1963年首次设计的，主要用于小组创意活动，个人使用也有较好的效果。具体做法是先把要解决的题

5、目或主题写下来，然后小组成员轮流把随意想到的思路不加任何思考地写下来。每人在前一个想法的基础上任意发挥，对任何想法的好坏不作任何思考、判定和议论。最重要的是在最短的时间内尽可能穷尽所有思路的可能性，最后才回过头来(运用批判思维)判定哪些想法更具公道性。(2)反转法(thereversalmethod)反转法包含逆向思维，即从事情或人物的反面进行思考，寻求横向思维完全不同于常规的答案。例如，有一位贵夫人由于身体超重而雇佣了很多医生为她减肥，但体重丝尽不减，由于她不愿采纳医生给她制定的近乎于忍饥受饿的严格饮食标准。最后，有一位医生采用反转法打破了思维定式，他的逆向思维是不让病人采取饥饿性节食一一不

6、是少吃，而是多吃，即在每次吃饭前喝一杯加糖牛奶并吃水果，这自然影响了她吃正餐的食欲而达到节食的目的。结果节食成功了。再如在一次考试中学生做了这样一道创新思维题：在一家儿童医院里，由于年幼的小病人极其喜爱供他们在病房里玩耍的玩具熊，以至于在岀院时把玩具熊带回了家。医院怎样运用创新思维解决这一题目呢？多数答案只停留在纵向思维的层面上，如收取玩具费以弥补丢失的玩具的损失；在玩具里嵌进报警装置(一旦玩具离开病房就报警)；敦促家长教育孩子等等。这些方法不仅不尽切合实际，而且还把小病人当作“小偷”来定性，让人难以接受。只有反转法的对策把小病人看成富有同情心的“好人”最有创意：建议医院用纱布将玩具熊包扎起来

7、，并对小病人说小熊也在住院，未治愈之前不能出院，从此病房里的玩具熊就不再不知往向了。(3)切进点的选择(choiceofentrypoint)切进点是指对题目的第一关注点。ColorfulBeautiful 对切进点的非常规性选择也是创新思维的方法之一(与反转法有一定的重叠，但切进点的选择不一定都是逆向思维)，重点是在思考题目时要经常改变切进点。假如在一个网球邀请赛里，有 111 人参加单打循环淘汰赛，我们怎样计算岀整个比赛的总场次呢？假如按常规将切进点选择在胜岀的球员身上，由于是循环淘汰赛，就必须一直算到该球员赢完决赛之后才是比赛的总场次。要是把切进点改变一下，选择在被淘汰的球员身上，解决题

8、目就轻易多了。111 人的单循环淘汰赛只能有一位赢荚冬有 110 个人输球，而每人只要输一次就被淘汰，因此整个邀请赛总共要有 110场次的比赛。英语写作教学离不开英语作文和练习。固然创新思维跟写前构思技巧一样，以开阔思路、PhoenixRage拓展写作内容为教学目的，但两者本身又与英语写作相结合，成为作文和练习的组成部分。Taylor(1982:71)以为最佳的语言习得/学习状态不是从语言直接学习而来，而是在使用它往获取知识才是最有效的。换言之，通过使用英语书面表达来进行创新思维的练习可以到达既练习思维又同时学习英语写作的目的。下面是创新思维/写前构思的练习和作文的几个实例。(一)创新思维/写

9、前构思练习实例1. AssociativePowers4TheRoyalWizardWritetensuitabletitlesforthefollowingtaleandastatementtoexplainwhateachtitlemeans.Developingafocusondifferentaspectsofthetale(i.e.thewizard,theking,andthelock)iscrucialtothisexercise.Thereoncelivedakingwhodependedgreatlyonhiswiseman.But,throughonecircumstanc

10、eandanother,hegrewtodoubtthepowersandperceptionsofhischosenadviser.So,totesthim,hehadhimtossedintoarathercomfortabledungeonwithahugedoorsecuredbyacombinationlock.Thekingpromisedthatifthewisemancouldfreehimimmolation,hewouldberestoredtohisformerexaltedpost.Thewisemanexaminedthecombinationlockandcalcu

11、latedthattherewere288,000possiblecombinations.Hefurthercalculatedthat,attherateoftryingonecombinationperminute,workinganeight-hourday,hewouldbefreein600daysatthelatest.Hemadeanelaboratecharttokeeptrackofthecombinationshetried,hunguphiscalendar,andbuckleddowntobusinessas599dayspassed.Beforenoonofthel

12、astday,hetwirledhalfofhisquotaofcombinationsandthenhadalightlunch.Afterlunch,hetookdownhiscalendarandreturnedtohisjobwhistlinghappily.At4:59p.m.,hehadonlyonemorecombinationtogo,soheplacedtherolled-upcalendarunderhisarmandsmilingconfidently,twistedthefinalcombinationintoplace.Nothinghappened!Hismouth

13、hungopeninshock.Hebeatonthelock,butitstoodfirm.Infrustration,hethrewhimimmolationagainsttheheavydoor.Slowly,itswungopen.Itwasthenthathefoundthatwhenhehadfirstbeenimprisoned,thekinghadorderedthatthecellboltnotbethrown.参考答案TheRoyalWizard(1) 600DaysTooLateSometimesthecostistoohighifyoufailtolocateaprob

14、lemintime.(2) ALessonLearnedtheHardWayOnemaylearnalessonthehardway.(3) ASolutionMadeComplexSometimestheremaybea*rsolutiontoaproblem.(4) ATestofTalentTestsoftruetalenthavetodowithsolvingproblemsinreal-lifesituations.(5) MisplacedPatiencePatiencecanbemisplaced.(Iftheoldmanhadbeenimpatientwiththenumero

15、uscombinationsofthelock,hewouldhaveturnedtoanother,perhaps*r,solutiontotheproblem.)(6) PerformanceunderPressurePeople,evensmartpeople,mayperformbadlyunderpressure.(7) LackofaQuestioningAttitudeAquestioningattitudemayhelpyoutorealizethereisaproblem.(Iftheoldmanhadhadaquestioningattitude,liketheking,w

16、hodoubtedhispowersandperceptions,hewouldhavesensedtheremightbeaproblemwithhissolutiontotheproblemathand.)(8) Self-ImprisonmentPeoplesometimeslimitthemselvestofixedwaysofthinkingverticalthinkingasiftheylockthemselvesupinaimmolation-constructedprison.(9) LimitsofWisdomEventhewisestpersonmayslipandfall

17、duetolackofconstantapplicationofcreativethinking.(10) TheShrewdKingApersoninpowershouldnotalwaysactontheadviceofothers.(11) UnfortunateCalculationsItmaybeunfortunateforyoutobesogoodatacertainskillthatyoumaybeover-confidentaboutitandrefusetotryanythingnew.2. Means-EndsAnalysisCrossingtheGorgeEngineer

18、sweretryingtobuildasuspensionbridgeoveradeepandwidegorge.Thewhitewateratthebottomofthegorgewastooviolentforanyboattocross.Howwouldyougettheheavycablesfromonesideofthegorgetotheother?(Hint:Forameans-endsanalysis,youneedtothinkaboutsubgoalsbeforeyoucanreachyourfinalgoalinsolvingtheproblem.)参考答案Crossin

19、gtheGorgeSubgoal1:Takingadetourinsolvingtheproblem,theengineerssentverylightfibersacrossthegorgebyattachingthemtoakitewhenthewindwasright,ofcourse.Subgoal2:Thesefiberswerethenusedtopullstringsacross.Subgoal3:Thestringswereusedtopullropesacross.FinalGoal:Theropeswereusedtopullheavycablesthatwerestret

20、chedacrossthegorge.3. RandomWordStimulationTheteacherrandomlyopensthedictionarythreetimesforthreesetsofnounsfromtheselectedpages,andforeachoptionwritesdownthenounsontheboardforthestudentstochoosefrom.Eachstudentcanuseanysetofthenounsasrandomstimulitogenerateinformationforatopicofhis/herownchoice.参考答

21、案RandomWordStimulationTopic:WritersBlockDictionary:LongmanDictionaryofContemporaryEnglishRandomlyselectedpage:Page926Selectednounsintheleft-handcolumn:maple,maraca,marathon,marbleDefinitions(itwillbestimulationenoughjusttocopyfromthedictionarytheEnglishdefinitionsofthewords):maple:atreewithmany-poin

22、tedleaveswhichgrowsinthenorthernhalfoftheworld,onekindofwhichgivesasugaryliquid(maplesyrup)maraca:eitherofapairofhollowshellswithsmallobjects,suchasstones,insidethemthatareshakentoprovideastrongbeatinLatinAmericanmusicmarathon:arunningraceofabout26miles;anactivitythattestsonespoweroveralongtimemarbl

23、e:asortofwhiteorirregularlycoloredlimestonethatishard,coldtotouch,smoothwhenpolished,andusedforbuildings,statues,gravestones,etc.Stimuli:theshadedwordsinthedefinitions(notlimitedtothosewords)haveprovidedstimuliforthefollowingideasaboutthetopic,writersblock:“Thenorthernhalfoftheworld”：Thetwohemispher

24、esofthebrain-Writersblockbecauseofoveruseofonlyonepartofthebrain?Theverballeft-brain?Howaboutswitchingtothenon-verbalright-braintoovercomewritersblock?Usingimagestohelpmethink?Formingmentalpictures?Trysomeothercreativestrategies?“Asugaryliquid,”“maplesyrup”:Ideasdryupinwritersblock-IoncewatchedaTVpr

25、ogramonhowtomakemaplesyrupfromthesugaryliquidorsapofmapletreesinCanada.Whenthesapstopsdrippingintothesmallbucket,doesitmeanthetreeistooold,theweatherconditionsarenotright(i.e.thereisntmuchsunshine),ortheresbeenashortageofrainfall?Imnottoooldforwritingyet(asonemaysay,“Youhaventlostallthejuicesofyouth

26、yet.”),thenageisnotafactor.ButprobablyImnotintherightmoodforwritingonthistopic,soImstuckhere?OrbecauseIdontknowenoughorIhaventreadenoughaboutthetopic;thatswhyIcantwriteanotherword?HowcanIgetmycreativejuicesflowingagain?“Hollowshells”:Emptywordsinmywriting-Withwritersblock,Ijustfeellikethehollowshell

27、sofapairofmaracas,withoutthestonesinsidethemtomakeasound.Justemptywords,novividspecificdetails.Iverundry,outofideas.Ifeelempty;Ifeelshallow.Icantproducequalityworkanymore.Ivelostit.Ormaybethatstheproblemwithmywriting-Imtooconcernedwithqualitywork,evenbeforeIstart.Ineedtoletitgo;trysomemorecreativest

28、rategiesinprewritingtoescapefromitall,toescapeforawhilefromthisobsessionwiththerightthingtosayinmywriting.MaybemyproblemisIhaventpaidenoughattentiontospecificdetailsinwriting.ThenIneedtoshowmorethantell.Butwhere?How?Idefinitelyneedthestonesinthemaracastoproduceastrongbeatformymusic,buthow?Moreprewri

29、ting.“Marathon,”“anactivitythattestsonespoweroveralongtime”:Maybe,thewholewritingprocessislikeamarathon.Youmayfeelexcitedinthebeginning.OrmaybeitsnotlikethisinsomecaseswhenIneverhavethepassiontowriteanything,dependingonthetopics.Andsometimesyoumayfeelexhaustedontheway,justlikeinamarathon,likewhenyou

30、reexperiencingwritersblock.Intimeslikethis,youwanttoquit,youwanttodropoutoftherace.Yes,writingislikearaceinthesensethatyouretakingdictationfromyourbrainsometimesandyouwanttowriteasfastasyoucantokeepupwithit.Butyouknowyoucangettheretothefinishlineifyouhanginthere.Havesomepatience,developyourpacing,an

31、dslowdownalittlebit.Itsonlyatemporaryphasething,yourwritersblock.Likeatestofonesenduranceinamarathon,writersblockisonlyatestofyourabilitytogeneratemoreideaswhenyougetstuckinyourwriting.Youcaneventuallyrideoutthisdifficultyifyouhanginthere.“Irregularlycoloredlimestone,”“smoothwhenpolished”:Irregularl

32、ycoloredmarblemaybeusedasananaloguetoshowhowprewritingasaprocesstoovercomewritersblockcanbedonewithcreativemethods.Inprewriting,youdonthavetofollowregularpatterns;instead,youneedtoignorelogic,correctnessofgrammar,oranyclearorganizationalpatterns,inordertoescapefromoldhabitsorfixedwaysofthinking.Irre

33、gularlycoloredmarbleiswhatyourelookingfor,notpurewhite,butirregularlycolored.Wecansettleforirregularstreaksofgray,oracombinationofbrownandwhite;anythinggoesinprewriting.Thisiswhatprewritingisabout,toexperiment,toexplore.Ofcourse,afterprewriting,youneedtogooverwhatyouvecomeupwithanddecideonwhattouset

34、odevelopamainpoint,onecolor,sotospeak,inyourwriting.Andthenyousmoothouttheedgesandpolishthesu*cestomakeeverythingsmoothintherevisingstagebeforeyouhandinyourwriting.(二)创新思维作文实例1.CreativeStrategyReportAGameofTableTennisSolvethefollowingpuzzleingroupsofthree,withStudentAresponsiblefortakingnotesonbrain

35、storming,StudentBforanoutline(ondifferentpathways),andStudentCforthefinalreport.Thewholereportisexpectedtoshowfluency,flexibility,andoriginalityincreativethinking.Amanchallengedatabletennischampiontoagameoftabletennisontheconditionthathebeallowedtochoosethetimeandplaceofthematch.Thechampionacceptedt

36、hechallengebutwasdefeatedbythechallenger.Whywasthechampiondefeated?参考答案AGameofTableTennisBrainstorming(1) Thechallengerchosetoplayatnight.Thechampionwasnight-blind.(2)Thematchwassetinaspaceshuttle.Thechallengerwasanastronaut,butthechampionwasnot.(3) Thechampionhadwonhistitleatalocaluniversity,butthe

37、challengerwasoneofthebesttabletennisprofessionalplayersofthenation.(4) Thechallengerchosetoplayonaslope,andthechampionhadtoplayatthebottomoftheslope,thusgivingthechallengeranadvantageinthegame.(5) Thegamewasplayedinthechallengershometown,aplateaulikeinTibet.Thechampionwasinbadshapebecauseoftheshorta

38、geofoxygen,sohewasdefeated.(6) Thematchtookplaceinalionscage.Thechallengerwastheliontamer.(7) Thechampionhadapsychologicalproblem,andhewasscaredofknives.Thechallengerwantedtoplaythegameinaroomfullofknives.(8) Atthematch,aspotlightfollowingthechampiondazzledhim,sohelostthegame.(9) Thematchtookplacein

39、theArctic.Thechampioncouldntstandthecold,butthechallengerwasanEskimo.(10) Inthematchroom,therewerealotofattractivegirlsinshirtsopennearlytothewaist,sothechampioncouldntconcentrate.Andthechallengerwasgay.(11) Thechampionwaschallengedtothegamewhenhecamedownwiththefluandwasrunningatemperature.Sohewould

40、betooweaktowinthematch.(12) Thechallengerwantedtoplayinaboat,andthechampioncouldntkeephisbalanceandgotseasick,butthechallengerwasaseamanandquiteusedtotherockingoftheboatonthewaves.(13) ItwasagameontheInternet.Thechallengerwasgoodatonlinegameswhilethechampionwasarookie.(14) Thechallengerwastheboss,an

41、dinordertoavoidhurtinghishugeego,thechampionlostthegameonpurpose.(15) Theybothwouldhavetowalkonstiltsandplay.Onlythechallengercouldmanageitwell,becausehewasanacrobat.(16)Thechampionwasawoman.Shewaschallengedtothematchwhenshewaseightmonthspregnant.(17) Thechallengerwasstillachild,butthechampionanadul

42、t.Thematchwouldtakeplaceinfortyyears.Bythen,thechampionwouldprobablybeinhisseventies,toooldtowinthegame.(18) Theyplayednearanoisyairportwherethechampionwasaffectedseriously.Thechallengerwasdeaf.(19) Theyplayedonacliff.Withthecliffrightbehindthechampion,hedidntdaretomove.(20) Thechampionwasplacedonat

43、rampoline.(21) Thechampionwaschallengedtothegamerightafteranimportantmatch,wherehehadusedupallhisenergy.(22) Thechallengerpickedafull-blowngardenasthevenueofthematch,andthechampionwasallergictopollen.Outline(DifferentPathways)Pathway1When:thechallengersetsatimethatisinconvenientforthechampiontobepre

44、sent,e.g.whenthechampionisheavywithababy;orsupposeafive-year-oldboychallengesathirty-year-oldchampionandarrangesthetimetobefortyyearslaterwhenthechampionistoooldtowinthegameoreventoooldtoplay.Pathway2Where:thechallengersetstheplacetohisownadvantage,likeplayingonaslopeorinhisplateauhometown.Orifthech

45、allengerisblind,hewantstoplaythegameinthedark.Pathway3Who:thechallengertriestodistractthechampionsattentionbybringingintoplessprettygirlsorhalf-nakedmen,dependingonthechampions*or*ualorientation.Thechampionisasubordinateunderthechallenger,sohelosesthegameonpurpose.Orthechallengercanmakeuseofknivesif

46、thechampionhasapsychologicalproblemwiththem.Anditcanbeagamebetweenachampionofalocaluniversityandarealtabletennispro.FinalReport(BestIdeas)Howcanamanbeatatabletennischampioneasilysolongashegetstochoosethetimeandplaceofthematch?Wehavefoundquiteafewsolutionstothispuzzle,andnotallofthemhavetodowiththepr

47、ivilegethewinnerisgiven.Ifwesetasidethequestionoftimeandplace,wearefacedwitha*rquestion:Howcanamaneasilydefeatatabletennischampion?Thekeytothisquestionistodefine“theman”and“thechampion.”Itispossiblethemanishimimmolationatabletennismasterandmayhavewonamedalinaninternationalcompetitionwhiletheso-calle

48、d“champion”enjoyssuchareputationonlyinalocaluniversity.Itisalsopossiblethe“champion”islongpasthisprime,say,inhis70s,whiletheman,thoughstilltrainingtobeaprofessionalplayer,isfullofenergy.Nowwetakeintoconsiderationthemansprivilegeofchoosingthetime.Inwhatwaycanthequestionoftimemakeadifference?Themancan

49、chooseatimemostinconvenientforthechampion,soinconvenientthatthechampionhastolose,suchaswhenthechampionliesterriblysickinbed,iseightmonthspregnant(thechampioncanbyallmeansbeawoman).Theprivilegeofchoosingthevenueofthematchisalsowellworthexploring.Forinstance,thechampionispronetoseasickness,andthechall

50、engertakeshimonashipforthegameonthesea;thechampionisallergictopollen,sothechallengerchoosestoplayinafull-blowngarden;thechampionhasweaklungs,thenthematchissetinTibet,thechallengershometown;thechampionisnight-blind,and,youguessedit,thematchtakesplaceatmidnightintheopenair.Thelistgoeson,andwearequites

51、urewehavenotexhaustedalloftheideasinthisreport,whichisnotsomuchaboutsolutionsasabouthowwecomeupwithideas.Thisexercisehasconvincedusthatwithamindatonceimaginativeandcritical,wecanmakemanyseeminglyimpossiblethingshappen.2.Open-EndedStoryDoorbellDescribetheopen-endedpicturestorybelowinyourownwords,thin

52、kofthreeorfourendingsforthestory,andcommentonwhatyouhavelearnedfromtheexercise.参考答案DoorbellDescriptionofthestoryAman,walkingdownthestreet,passesahouseandnoticesachildtryingtoreachadoorbell.Nomatterhowmuchthelittleboystretches,hecantreachit.Themancallsout,“Letmegetthatforyou,”andheboundsontotheporchandringsthebell.Convergentending:lTheboysmomopensthedoor,andboththeboyandhismomthanktheman.Andthemansays“Noproblem.Divergentendings:l“Thanks,mister,”saysthekid.“Nowletsrun.”lSomeoneopensthedoor,buttheboysays“Sorry,wronghouse.Cometothinkofit,wrongstreet.”Theboy